Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has worked on 'little adaptations' in preparation for Erling Haaland's absence but knows the biggest danger is cutting off supply between the lines.
Liverpool travel to the Etihad this lunchtime looking to do the league double over City, having beaten them 1-0 at Anfield in October. Jurgen Klopp's side have been far from their best this season but proved with a 7-0 win over Manchester United they can still hurt top teams.
And at the Etihad they enjoyed a boost with news of Haaland's absence, after the Norwegian pulled out of international duty with a groin issue last month. Pep Guardiola admitted he would leave it late in his press conference, assessing his striker in the final training session on Friday.
LIVE: City v Liverpool team news and build-up
But news of his absence from the matchday squad was confirmed when Guardiola chose to start Alvarez, with Haaland not included at all.
"Yes, but in general it’s not like this," Klopp replied when asked if he had two plans for both potential outcomes regarding Haaland's inclusion. "The last moment is the one when Haaland really gets involved but all the other moments are quite similar. I didn't see the line-up before I came out here, who else isn’t in the team? Foden?
"Alvarez is playing so look they have a striker with speed and stuff like this so all of those balls in behind are the same. The main thing against City is to cut off the passing options between the lines, and that's a massive challenge when they find De Bruyne, Gundogan, Bernardo Silva these kinds of things.
"Rodri on the ball is not dangerous in the first moment but if you are not there, two seconds later it will be dangerous. The better we defend, the more often they will go long or switch the sides, these are the things we prepare for and then the last moment is where Erling comes in.
"But he’s not in so there is little adaptations, but we cannot really train especially for it after international duty because we had exactly one session with all the boys together which was yesterday. But City had the same and that’s why it’s fine."
READ NEXT
